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Archive for the ‘Gratitude’ Category

Delighting in simple pleasures has become a lost art. Very young children do it; they can’t help themselves. They haven’t yet been conditioned to expect more.

Being told to delight in simple pleasures is a rather broad commandment. First of all, what is a simple pleasure? Second of all, what exactly does it mean to delight in something? And third, why is it so important?

What is a simple pleasure?

A simple pleasure is a thing, a connection, or an event that causes a person to feel a smile within the body. In general, large and elaborate things or events that, while positive, create different reactions within the body.

Simple pleasures rarely change in life. What delights a child should delight an adult, unless the adult has been too tarnished or damaged. There are infinite simple pleasures and each person feels perhaps 3,000 in his or her lifetime. The more open a person is to the amazement of life on Earth, the more simple pleasures he or she can feel.

Examples of simple pleasures are:

Seeing a beautiful flower, smelling it, touching its petals

Approaching a large tree, looking up into its leaves so high above, touching the bark

Walking barefoot on sand and feeling it between the toes

Standing outside during a mild rain shower with face uplifted to the sky, feeling the drops on the face

Being held by someone who loves you

Being rocked by someone who loves you

Holding a pet in your arms, stroking the fur, seeing the pet’s reactions

Feeling strength in your hands, their versatility, their capability

What does it mean to delight in something?

To delight in something means to roll in its hold on you. Not to really roll, rather to let it take you over in childlike amazement. As if you are a small child witnessing wonder.

Many people lose the wonder of things as they age and experience experiences over and over again. To see a tree for the millionth time is less amazing than seeing a tree for the first time, and yet, the millionth tree is really as amazing as that first one. Finding delight in each and every experience that is pleasurable is a goal worth pursuing. Avoiding becoming jaded, avoiding becoming apathetic.

Why is it important to delight in delight?

The more we let ourselves be moved by the joyous moments in life, the more balanced we are. Our bodies and souls require HAPPY for proper functioning. Even when life is difficult and challenging, finding delight in simple pleasures can affect the way in which we handle the challenges and low tides. Finding moments of un-joylessness, un-annoyance, and un-restlessness lead to balance and to meaningful existence.

Tip

A simple way to recall the joyousness of childhood is to be outside near a plant that has a scent you find pleasing. Sit down next to the plant and let yourself be absorbed by its scent and its fullness of life. (Be sure to protect your clothes before you sit; otherwise, you’ll be upset when you see your dirty clothes and forget the joyous moment!)

Conclusion

“The importance of delight” is the title of this post. It is also a directive from Spiritual Presence about our lives. Life is not meant to be easy, but it is meant to be interesting. The more we find pleasure in the world, the more we can contribute and receive.

People tend to celebrate events that are milestones defined by society: birth, coming-of-age, marriage, specific birthdays and anniversaries, graduation, promotions, etc. These events are deserved of celebration, and are not the subject of this blog post.

Achievements such as finishing a small project, reaching a minor goal, learning a new skill, performing a feared task, relinquishing an old hurt, connecting in a spiritual way, changing a career, weeding the garden and not using poison to kill the weeds, resisting ease for quality, resisting the appeal of time wasters, and reviving a meaningful relationship should be noted and cele-vated (celebrate + elevate). Raised up to deserve celebration. Celebrated because we have elevated ourselves.

Let’s look at examples of achievements that should be celevated and possible celebrations.

Performing a feared task is an achievement that should be celevated

When we carry fears from real or imagined reasoning, the fears constrict us. When we decide to release a fear, our mind must release the thoughts that had been occupied with the fear. The celebration for performing a feared task?

Acknowledge that the feared task was performed by either saying so out loud or by writing it.

Hold your hands together and say “I did it!” or something similar. While you do that, smile and feel the achievement.

Do one or more movements, like a little victory dance, which will release any bodily tension that arose from performing the task.

Reviving a meaningful relationship is an achievement that should be celevated

Often, time passes without us realizing that we didn’t make time for someone whom we once cherished. When we decide to revive a meaningful relationship, our minds must release any guilt that existed from feelings of non-trueness to this person. The celebration for reviving a meaningful relationship?

After initial contact has been made (through writing or speaking), acknowledge that you are proud of yourself for taking the steps to renew this friendship and breathe deeply for a minute or two.

After additional contact, hold your hands together and say “I did it!” or something similar. While you do that, smile and feel the achievement.

Resisting ease for quality is an achievement that should be celevated

There are many examples of resisting ease for quality. Making a pizza from scratch rather than buying a pizza from the pizza delivery service is one example. Eating a meal on dishes rather than using disposables is another example. Even though this achievement can be a daily or even hourly event, it should be elevated and celebrated!

Reminding ourselves that our “sacrifices” bring rewards is the first step towards celevation.

A general celebration could be patting ourselves on the back (literally) after the achievement has been completed. Specific celebrations for specific achievements can simply be finding ways to savor the moments spent in quality living.

In Energy Guidance Complete sessions

During Energy Guidance Complete sessions, I sometimes ask people to consider their large and small achievements. People tend to overlook their achievements, and they usually have trouble remembering more than ten. In actuality, the remembered achievements should number over fifty (depending on age).

Conclusion

Each achievement should be marked in some tangible way so that we become aware of the things we do to raise our lives. The celevation is a way to remind ourselves that purposeful and substantial living occurs in our lives daily, and this awareness should push us towards being more loving and accepting of ourselves and of others.

Trenta is the large sized drink at Starbucks. Why is it used here? Because largeness is what we want when we’re being thankful. Largeness in feeling and largeness in expression!

Here are ways to add large sized thankfulness into your life:

Add an Appreciation ritual to your eating. Consider all the people who contributed to your meal, from the people who worked in the fields harvesting the vegetables to the people who worked in the store or restaurant packaging the food or working the cash register. If your meal includes meat or dairy, consider the animals who gave their lives or milk for your nourishment.

Add Appreciation of Abode into your weekly or daily schedule. This ritual can include going from room to room expressing thankfulness for the people who use these rooms or for the rooms themselves. This ritual can include looking at your home/apartment/tent from the outside and expressing thankfulness for the whole structure.

Add “How wondrous is the sky” thankfulness to your daily routine. The first time you go outside, even if it’s just to quickly walk to your car, look at the sky and express thankfulness for it. Even if it’s raining or too hot.

Many more rituals can be added to your thankfulness quest:

Considering the majesty of your body each time you go to the bathroom is one way.

A daily Rising and/or Retiring ritual to start and end your day with thankfulness is balancing.

Every time you choose a decorative item for your home (like a rug or a vase) or for your body (like an article of clothing or shoes), quietly give thanks that you have the ability to choose.

On each birthday, consider the previous year and give thanks for all that happened in it—even the less good things. Then give thanks in advance for the coming year.

There are so, so many ways to add trenta thankfulness into your life. Remember: the larger, the more effective!

Delighting in simple pleasures has become a lost art. Very young children do it; they can’t help themselves. They haven’t yet been conditioned to expect more.

Being told to delight in simple pleasures is a rather broad commandment. First of all, what is a simple pleasure? Second of all, what exactly does it mean to delight in something? And third, why is it so important?

What is a simple pleasure?

A simple pleasure is a thing, a connection, or an event that causes a person to feel a smile within the body. In general, large and elaborate things or events that, while positive, create different reactions within the body.

Simple pleasures rarely change in life. What delights a child should delight an adult, unless the adult has been too tarnished or damaged. There are infinite simple pleasures and each person feels perhaps 3,000 in his or her lifetime. The more open a person is to the amazement of life on Earth, the more simple pleasures he or she can feel.

Examples of simple pleasures are:

Seeing a beautiful flower, smelling it, touching its petals

Approaching a large tree, looking up into its leaves so high above, touching the bark

Walking barefoot on sand and feeling it between the toes

Standing outside during a mild rain shower with face uplifted to the sky, feeling the drops on the face

Being held by someone who loves you

Being rocked by someone who loves you

Holding a pet in your arms, stroking the fur, seeing the pet’s reactions

Feeling strength in your hands, their versatility, their capability

What does it mean to delight in something?

To delight in something means to roll in its hold on you. Not to really roll, rather to let it take you over in childlike amazement. As if you are a small child witnessing wonder.

Many people lose the wonder of things as they age and experience experiences over and over again. To see a tree for the millionth time is less amazing than seeing a tree for the first time, and yet, the millionth tree is really as amazing as that first one. Finding delight in each and every experience that is pleasurable is a goal worth pursuing. Avoiding becoming jaded, avoiding becoming apathetic.

Why is it important to delight in delight?

The more we let ourselves be moved by the joyous moments in life, the more balanced we are. Our bodies and souls require HAPPY for proper functioning. Even when life is difficult and challenging, finding delight in simple pleasures can affect the way in which we handle the challenges and low tides. Finding moments of un-joylessness, un-annoyance, and un-restlessness lead to balance and to meaningful existence.

Tip

A simple way to recall the joyousness of childhood is to be outside near a plant that has a scent you find pleasing. Sit down next to the plant and let yourself be absorbed by its scent and its fullness of life. (Be sure to protect your clothes before you sit; otherwise, you’ll be upset when you see your dirty clothes and forget the joyous moment!)

Conclusion

“The importance of delight” is the title of this post. It is also a directive from Spiritual Presence about our lives. Life is not meant to be easy, but it is meant to be interesting. The more we find pleasure in the world, the more we can contribute and receive.

Living life with expectation is positive when the expectation is shared. The word “shared” is tricky. It means that the expectation is natural and widespread. A shared expectation is that the sun will provide sunlight and the sunlight will provide daytime lighting.

Living life with security is necessary for full development. Security refers to feelings of protection and continued protection. Shelter from cold and heat and other environmental harshness, from bugs that sting and bite and from other types of bites and scares that come from animals, and from stings and hurts delivered by people through physical actions or harmful words.

Each person has desire for making a mark and the more the personal expression is allowed to flourish, the more the person is fulfilled.

Living life with gratitude can happen when expectations are reasonable, security is available, and personal expression occurs. Wanting to be grateful is a good first step towards feeling grateful; naturally occurring gratitude appears when living is satisfying. Each person has a gratitude capability for seeing his or her life for its fulfillment of the need to be expressive, satisfied, and secure.

The way towards feeling gratitude is to see life with unexpectant and present eyes.